Elizabeth Fry eBook

A few weeks later she was taken to Ramsgate, in the
hope that the sea-air would restore her strength for
a little time; and while there her old interest in
the Coastguard Libraries returned, fresh and lively
as ever. It was, indeed, a proof of the ruling
passion being strong in almost dying circumstances.
She attended meeting whenever possible, obtained a
grant of Bibles and Testaments from the Bible Society,
arranged, sorted, and distributed them among the sailors
in the harbor, with the help of her grandchildren,
and manifested, by her daily deportment, how fully
she had learned the hard lesson of submission and
patience in suffering.

A few days before the end, pressure of the brain became
apparent; severe pain, succeeded by torpor and loss
of power, and, after a short time, utter unconsciousness,
proved that the sands of life had nearly run down.
A few hours of spasmodic suffering followed, very trying
to those who watched by; but suddenly, about four
on the morning of October 13th, 1845, the silver cord
was loosed, the pitcher broken at the fountain, and
the spirit returned to God who gave it.

In a quiet grave at Barking, by the side of the little
child whom she had loved and lost, years before, rest
Elizabeth Fry’s mortal remains. “God
buries His workers, but carries on His work.”
The peculiar work which made her name and life so
famous has grown and ripened right up to the present
hour. In this, “her name liveth for evermore.”

CHAPTER XVI.

FINIS.

Since the days when John Howard, Elizabeth Fry and
other prison reformers first commenced to grapple
with the great problems of how to treat criminals,
many, animated by the purest motives, have followed
in the same path. To Captain Maconochie, perhaps,
is due the system of rewards awarded to convicts who
manifest a desire to amend, and show by their exemplary
conduct that they are anxious to regain once more a
fair position in society. Some anonymous writers
have recently treated the public to books bearing
on the convict system of our country; and professedly
written, as they are, by men who have endured longer
or shorter periods of penal servitude, their opinions
and suggestions certainly count for something.
The author of Five Years’ Penal Servitude
seems to entertain very decided opinions upon the present
system and its faults. He speaks strongly against
long sentences for first offences, but urges
that they should be made more severe. He thinks
that short sentences, made as severe as possible, consistent
with safety to life, would act as a deterrent more
effectually than the long punishments, which are,
to a certain degree, mild to all well-conducted prisoners.
He also most strongly advocates separation of prisoners;
insisting that “the mixing of prisoners together
is radically bad, and should at all costs be done
away with. Men who are imprisoned for first offences,